Because that's the Thomas Virginia Tech needs. That's the Thomas NFL scouts liked. And that's the Thomas who has largely been absent since the fourth quarter of last season's opener versus Georgia Tech.

Thomas' two-game numbers against the Yellow Jackets are excellent: 28-of-51 for 439 yards, with five touchdown passes and no interceptions. Also, he's rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Gaze inside those stats and you'll find everything you'd want in a quarterback.

Big arm: Thomas threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Demitri Knowles at home last year and a 63-yarder to Danny Coale at Grant Field in 2011.

Clutch: Thomas passed for 140 yards in the fourth quarter last season, and after Georgia Tech scored a go-ahead touchdown with 44 seconds remaining, he drove Virginia Tech into position for Cody Journell's tying field goal at the gun. On that drive, he completed a 23-yard slant route to Corey Fuller on fourth-and-4.

Toughness: Thomas burrowed his way to 70 yards and two touchdowns against the Yellow Jackets in 2011, scoring go-ahead points late in the third quarter on a third-and-1 sneak that he carried 12 yards into the end zone.

But Thomas' toughest "run" came earlier in that drive when he refused to go down amid swarming pressure on third-and-19 from his own 17. Linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu became so frustrated that he uncharacteristically cheap-shotted Thomas, drawing a 15-yard penalty and giving the Hokies a first down.

"We couldn't tackle the guy," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said Wednesday of the 2011 contest. "He must have averaged about 7 yards on quarterback sneaks."

Thomas needs to see that "guy." He needs the positive reinforcement as he and his teammates grope with new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler's pro-style system, which entails more zone blocking, option concepts and misdirection than predecessor Bryan Stinespring's.

Four games in, the process remains painful, even with a 3-1 record. Virginia Tech ranks 85th nationally in scoring, 101st in third-down conversions, 102nd in total offense and 117th in passing efficiency.

Conversely, Georgia Tech (3-0, 2-0 ACC) appears to have adjusted well to new defensive coordinator Ted Roof — he employs a 4-3 alignment as opposed to the 3-4 of former coordinator Al Groh. The Yellow Jackets are 11th in total defense, 12th in scoring defense, though the rankings are skewed by a 72-0 rout of Elon.

The ACC did neither team a favor with a short week — Virginia Tech defeated Marshall 29-21 in triple-overtime Saturday, while Georgia Tech scored three unanswered touchdowns to beat North Carolina 28-20.

"You've got to cut back on packages, and some of the stuff you do," Johnson said. "The biggest thing is just to get guys there physically. Last time we played three games in 12 days (in 2009), the last game down in Miami (a 33-17 loss) we looked like we were running in sand. … We've got guys who will probably try to play Thursday without putting on pads all week because they've been banged up, hit and injured. And at this level that's hard to do."

Given Georgia Tech's unconventional optional offense, Virginia Tech's condensed preparation is even more difficult. The Hokies' defense is outstanding, but chances are, the Yellow Jackets are going to score 20-something points, placing the onus on Thomas and the offense.

Thomas is a fifth-year senior and should be beyond what Johnson said of Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee, a redshirt sophomore: "He's at the point in his career where one play you want to choke him and the next play you want to hug him. That's a growing process."

Meeting with reporters Monday, Thomas said it was time for Loeffler to unveil more of Virginia Tech's offense. Perhaps, but there's no doubt it's time for Thomas to rediscover his Georgia Tech form.

David Teel can be reached at 757-247-4636 or by email at dteel@dailypress.com. For more from Teel, read his blog at dailypress.com/ teeltime and follow him at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP

BLACKSBURG — When J.R. Collins reflects on all the ways he wasn't upholding his end of the bargain as a scholarship football player at Virginia Tech, he wonders about the true identity of the guy who was standing in his shoes.

BLACKSBURG — As usual, the normal routine around Virginia Tech's football facilities is a little off-kilter during Georgia Tech game week, especially given the cram session the Hokies have been presented with by the schedule makers.

John Calipari has hair and does not chew on towels, and none of his players is likely to appear as Grandmama in a shoe company pitch. Otherwise, the parallels between Kentucky 2015 and Nevada-Las Vegas 1991 are striking.